


Mistakes were Made

by Allise



Series: Clone Wars Shenanigans and Self Indulgences [4]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Dark Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Other, Powerful Obi-Wan, Protective clones, Temporary Character Death, Worried Anakin Skywalker, haha Dooku don fucked up, no beta we die like men, protective jedi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:09:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25251403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allise/pseuds/Allise
Summary: And as infinite sadness paved the way to infinite darkness, friends and foe alike watched in mounting apprehension as Obi-Wan finally opened his eyes.---“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”-Patrick Rothfuss
Relationships: CC-2224 | Cody & CT-7567 | Rex, Dooku & Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Plo Koon
Series: Clone Wars Shenanigans and Self Indulgences [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792738
Comments: 34
Kudos: 715





	Mistakes were Made

**Author's Note:**

> I refuse to go over and edit this

They were running out of time. They were running out of time and Anakin was going to go insane.

Obi-Wan’s been missing for over a week now, nearly two, when they’d gotten a holocall from Count Dooku of all beings. The Sith Lord had smirked at them, sulfur eyes gleaming with a satisfaction that had all those present on edge, especially as the Sith pulled an unconscious Obi-Wan into view of the call. From where Anakin had been sitting, he had not noticed any extreme or life threatening injuries on the man, maybe a few darkened spots on his skin that hinted at bruises, but otherwise, his former master seemed to be doing alright. Of course, that small amount of relief just couldn’t last long as Dooku smugly informed them that if they didn’t surrender immediately to the Separatists' forces, then he was inclined to kill Obi-Wan on the behalf of his master. He had ended the call shortly after, leaving the Council, him, and Ahsoka to stew in their turmoil. 

Obi-Wan was a beloved figure amongst the Jedi. He was intelligent, strong, cunning, and an excellent teacher, there was hardly a more looked up to Jedi; hardly anyone more worthy of the title of Master. He was also kind, compassionate, thoughtful, selfless, and so many more things that it always amazed Anakin how one man could be so _good._

And now that very same man was being held captive, possibly _tortured_ if they didn’t adheer to Dooku’s statement. 

“Negotiate for hostages, we will not.” Yoda had hummed, large ears downturned in a shocking, obvious display of displeasure. The old master then looked up, determination in his gaze. “But a retrievement, we will. The signal, where is it?”

To Anakin’s building shock, he watched as Master Koon held up a small, beeping device on his arm- linked to his comm. “Serenno, Master Yoda. Young Obi-Wan is trapped on Serenno.”

Yoda hummed in acknowledgement, closing his eyes as he sat in his chair as he sought the best choice of action. Finally, he opened them, a thoughtful expression taking over his face. “A mission, for young Kenobi, this is. Skywalker, Tano, Windu, and Koon,” Yoda listed, “find him, you must.” Then the old Master sighed, and Anakin could feel the _griefdissapointmentfear_ that permeated the Force around him. “Find my great-grandpadawan, you _will._ ”

There was no longer, _‘do or do not, there is no try’_ then in his voice. 

Only do.

For the first time, in a long time, Anakin felt a connection to his oldest lineage member; he felt. . . thankful, for him. 

As one, the four Jedi selected for the mission stood and bowed.

From where Anakin had stood, he could see the determined glint in each of their eyes.

_They will get Obi-Wan back._

-

It was never that simple, of course it wasn’t.

They had arrived on Serreno with the 212th and the 501st, each of them eager and willing to decimate some clankers in order to get the beloved General back. Each of them willing to risk it all if it meant Obi-Wan would return back to them safe and sound; and Anakin knew that Cody and Rex shared these sentiments almost ardently. If there was anyone that came even close to loving Obi-Wan as much as Anakin did, then it would definitely be those two, Cody and Rex who have, on more than one occasion, risked their lives and their stations in defense of Obi-Wan’s. For Force’s sake, Cody even had a hook on his belt for his former Master’s lightsaber. 

They were the people he trusted most with his best friend’s life.

It’s why he recommended the 212th and the 501st instead of Masters Windu’s or Koon’s troops. 

And of course things just couldn’t be easy.

“Sir!” Anakin cursed, ducking behind a downed shuttle and turned his attention away from the blaster fight to focus on Rex, helmet off and with an urgent look in his eyes. “Captain!”

“We picked up life signs on our scan!” Commander Cody cut in quickly, his helmet off as well as his gaze flickered between the data pad he was holding and the 501st’s General in front of him. “There are two life forms below Dooku’s palace, underground! We think we may have found an entrance!”

Master Koon settled a hand on his shoulder, nearly scaring the _crap_ out of him. “Excellent work you two. Is there any way to reach him quickly? Though, I admit that I am hesitant to leave the men up here.” 

There was a hint of annoyance that rose in his gut before Anakin squashed it with a _vicious_ determination. No, that was unacceptable. Obi-Wan was their priority but the men’s lives mattered, of course Master Plo would be worried to leave the battlefield. Obi-Wan would probably have the same concerns. 

Rex shook his head, relief evident in his Force signature. “No, we should be fine out here sir! Fives and Jesse are already pushing back the forces, and Cody’s got it on good authority that Boil’s team is nearly at the droid commander’s location. The battle should be over soon.” The relief hardened then. “We have to get to General Kenobi.”

Master Plo nodded. “Of course. I’ll tell Mace and Little ‘Soka.”

Despite the situation, Anakin felt himself grin at the nickname. It was endearing to hear how much Master Plo cared for Ahsoka, and he could tell that his Padawan felt the same about the Kel Dor Master. 

By the time Master Windu and Ahsoka appeared beside them, the battle was beginning to die down, and with determination, Cody and Rex began weaving in and out of blaster fire towards the courtyard of Count Dooku’s palace. 

It was a gaudy thing, even with all the damage that the surroundings had taken, Anakin couldn’t help but notice with distaste. But they continued through it, jumping and ducking and blocking incoming blaster fire as they got closer and closer to their destination, evident by how heavily guarded the entrance to Dooku’s estate was. But the droids were quickly gotten rid of, they were no match for four Jedi and two royally pissed off clone troopers. 

“Make a left here!” Cody pointed, “there should be a shaft somewhere here that leads us below ground.” 

They turned into a chamber. A large one. A familiar one.

Ahsoka stumbled, eyes wide as she stared at the ceiling. “Oh.” She breathed, “this. . . this is the _Temple._ ”

It was. The architecture in this room contrasted greatly with the rest of the place’s design, much more reminiscent of the high arches and tall windows of the Temple. Ivory walls and soft carpets with warm, soft lights that filled the chamber. It would have been depressing if Anakin wasn’t filled with a specific kind of fear that always ate away at him whenever Obi-Wan was in danger. 

Masters Windu and Plo seemed almost pained at the likeness of this chamber compared to the Temple. Anakin suddenly recalled that Mace and Plo knew Dooku, long before he left the order, long before he became a Sith Lord. He was still a Jedi. They certainly weren’t friends, but they had _known_ each other. 

Idly, Anakin wondered how much it pained them to know they were fighting against someone they knew and respected, some time ago. 

He shook his head. No, now wasn’t the time to reminisce. They had to get to Obi-Wan.

Anakin looked around, but it was a mostly empty chamber, only a lone desk and small book shelf were all that decorated the interior. He growled. 

“Rex! Is there any way to get down there?”

The poor clone looked as frustrated as he felt. “No, sir. This room is almost completely bare.”

“Maybe in the walls?” Ahsoka offered, “maybe there’s a staircase or something.”

Master Windu shook his head, already standing by one of the windows. “No, they’re too thin, and I doubt Dooku would ever use a ladder.”

Cody grimaced, eyes downcast as he stared at the data pad he had in his hand, indicating that both Dooku and Obi-Wan were there, directly underneath them, and they had no way of getting to them.

Then Anakin watched as the Marshal Commander’s back went rigid and his eyes went wide, and then he could only watch as the trooper dropped to his hands and knees on the carpeted floor.

“Uh, Cody?” Ahsoka wandered over, “you okay there?”

The clone didn’t answer and instead ripped up the fabric with an almost frantic urgency. 

“Oh.” He grinned and made his way over to the Commander. “Of course.”

Cody nodded, eyes focused on the circular hatch that lay underneath the carpet. “We _are_ directly above them, though I doubt getting this thing open is going to be as easy as knocking and asking politely.”

“No, this has to be Force activated.” Master Windu announced. 

Ahsoka grinned, “great! Let’s get started!”

He couldn’t see it, but Anakin knew that Master Plo was smiling. “If it’s made by Count Dooku, I’m afraid our Force signatures won’t be enough to get it open.”

“What? Why not!” She frowned, tapping her foot against the hatch separating her from her grandmaster.

Master Windy nodded, face grim but determined as he motioned for Cody and Rex to step back. “No, we are Jedi, we use the Light side of the Force. But,” he stated, “I am the Master of Vaapad. I can use the Dark Side and gain us access.”

With that said, the Master closed his eyes, hands extended and palms facing downwards as he concentrated, pulling on the Dark Side of the Force. Anakin felt chills run up his spine as he felt Windu’s Force Presence swell with a rising cold, the usual steady and warm presence of the Master faded bit by bit as the chill grew more pronounced in the tell-tale way it usually did when Windu was using Vaapad. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ahsoka shiver a bit as well. She had never faced against Master Windy before and was therefore unused to this particular aspect.

But it worked. It only took a few moments (that still seemed to last _too long_ for Anakin to feel comfortable with) before the hatch opened, stairs lighting up as they descended into the dark below. 

He growled, immediately jumping onto the first few steps. “Come on! We can’t waste anymore time!” Anakin lit his ‘saber and ran down into the darkness, the only thing on his mind was Obi-Wan and whether or not he was okay. 

“Force damn it, Skywalker!”

Harsh, white light flooded the bottom of the hole and Anakin threw up a hand at the glare, his eyes having a hard time adjusting to from the time spent in the dark. Ahsoka hissed at the light, squinting and blinking to adjust. Cody and Rex immediately shoved their helmets on their head to block it out. 

In front of them, lights continued to flicker on down through a hallway, doors occasionally appearing on either side. 

“Kriff,” Ahsoka muttered. “How are we going to find Master Obi-Wan in here!”

Anakin huffed, squaring his shoulders and walking in. “Well, we certainly won’t find him just standing here. Come on, Snips, reach out with the Force, let’s find where he is.”

“Got it, Skyguy.”

Steadily, they all made their way through the hallway, occasionally opening doors to empty rooms in the hopes of finding one with Obi-Wan in it. Anakin growled, the man’s Force Presence slipping between his fingers like water every time he tried to reach out. No matter how hard he tried to reach out, Obi-Wan was nearly impossible to reach with the Force. 

There was only one door at the end of the hall.

Cody tucked away the data pad, hand bringing up his blaster instead. “This has to be it, Generals.”

Master Plo nodded, his own lightsaber lighting up in his hand. “Then forward, we will go.”

They opened the doors, and stepped through.

Stepped through into a trap.

The doors slid shut instantly behind them as ray shields snapped to life, trapping them in a glowing box of red as the lights turned on, washing the room in a harsh white light. On the other side, Yan Dooku stood.

Obi-Wan, collapsed at his feet and bound. He wasn’t unconscious, but from how sluggish his movements were and how there was a haze over his eyes, the man was probably significantly drugged to keep him as docile as possible.

“Count Dooku,” Windu stepped forward. “Release him at once.”

The Sith Lord merely laughed, stepping around the Jedi Master to stand in front of them. “And you? You think you’re in the position to place demands?” Dooku scoffed, “you have become pathetic, Mace Windu, you and your _esteemed_ Jedi Council.”

Plo stepped forward this time, and for as long as Anakin had known the Jedi, he had never felt this kind of anger from the usually kind Master. “These ray shields will not hold forever. You will hand over Young Kenobi.”

“Oh, is that a threat?” Dooku raised a brow, mocking as he observed them.

“No, merely a statement.”

The Count hummed, before finally stepping away and moving back towards Obi-Wan. “That is true, those ray shields won’t last for long.” Anakin shouted as Dooku snapped forward and lurched Obi-Wan’s head back by his hair, a perverted smile on his face as a knife appeared in his other hand, held dangerously close to his face. “Which is why I must make this quick.”

Quicker than they could react, Dooku brought the knife to Obi-Wan’s neck, and Anakin could only watch in horror behind the red shields as he watched blood pour from his Master’s neck. 

_So this is how Obi-Wan felt, all those years ago on Naboo._

“NO!”

The Sith Lord grimaced, dropping the man and watched with a foreign expression on his face as blood began to pool on the floor. Dooku lifted the knife to his palm and cut into his own flesh, muttering something under his breath as he let the blood drip and mix into Obi-Wan’s own blood. 

“Master Obi-Wan!”Anakin barely had time to reach out and drag his padawan back by the waist as she lurched forward, her lightsabers clashing against the ray shields uselessly. “Master!” He gasped as Ahsoka struggled in his grip, grief almost making it too much to hold onto his strength as she wailed in his arms.

Dooku continued muttering, his words echoing in the room and gaining a weight as they were said. Masters Koon and Windu were stiff beside him, though there was no mistaking the _pain_ in the Force around them as they watched Dooku perform his Sith magic over the prone form of their friend. 

Slowly, faintly, his words died away, trailing off with an almost hesitant tone as nothing happened. Dooku shuddered and they could feel the swell of the Force rise around Obi-Wan and the Sith before falling. Nothing. Obi-Wan didn’t move. He didn’t move.

“No, no.” Yan shook, the knife clattering uselessly to the floor. “He-he said this would work. This was supposed to work.” He fell to his knees, clothes staining quickly as he knelt in the pooled blood around his grandpadawan. Dooku’s hands shook as he reached for Obi-Wan.

The ray shields fell away and Anakin surged forward.

Nothing else mattered. Nothing else. There was only blood on the floor and blood on the Count’s hands as he brought his lightsaber down on the Sith. Only years of fighting saved Dooku’s hide as he brought his own lightsaber up on instinct.

“ _You killed him!_ ” He heard himself scream, and inside, he startled at the sound of his own voice. “Obi-Wan!”

“No- no he wasn’t-” Dooku stammered, his lightsaber barely moving as he blocked and parried Anakin’s own brutal, enraged attacks. “He was supposed to join me.”

Suddenly, Anakin felt himself be pushed aside by the Force as Windu appeared in his place with a roar, Vaapad striking against Dooku as the Master used his own grief and anger. “Join you!” Windu growled, and Anakin watched in shock as tears pooled in his eyes as purple and red clashed between the two masters. “Even if he Fell, what possessed you to think he’d _ever_ join you-!”

“ _MASTERS!_ ”

The Force was _screaming._ It was screaming and it felt so, so _wrong._

Anakin looked up and watched Master Plo and his Padawan stumble backwards, placing themselves in front of Cody and Rex as all four stared in fear and fear at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan, whose neck was slowly sealing as his blood glowed around him- glowed brighter and brighter until the red faded into white and eventually covered the man. 

The Force screamed all the louder when the light faded.

The Force silenced when Obi-Wan stood.

The Jedi, the Clones, and the Sith watched in horror and wonder as Obi-Wan rose from the floor, as if what had just been done was just forgotten, erased, or perhaps unmade. There was no blood on the floor, there was no knife, and there were no shackles. Only the light scar on Obi-Wan’s throat was evidence that the man had died, that something unspeakable had just occurred. 

The Force swelled and crashed in a maelstrom of power around him, so thick that Anakin could feel himself choking on it. Obi-Wan merely raised his arms, as if greeting an old friend, even as the Force swirled around him, making him the calm eye of the storm as it thrashed, and eventually quelled with a quiet whisper.

He sighed and Anakin felt the hair on the back of his neck and arms rise. There was a warning that rang through the Force as Obi-Wan relaxed, head tilted back as though there wasn’t anything in the Universe that could hurt him, nothing _powerful_ enough to harm him. The calm and peace that usually surrounded him, that others found comfort in, was suddenly different. There was no comfort to be found, no softness or warmth that Obi-Wan usually carried, instead replaced with a sharp and biting chill. The Light faded, and the shadows sunk their teeth in and reaped what they could.

And as infinite sadness paved the way to infinite darkness, friends and foe alike watched in mounting apprehension as Obi-Wan finally opened his eyes.

Bright, sulfur yellow glowed under the lights and pinned each of them with an unfathomable weight in his gaze. The silence rang between them like a barrier. They stayed rooted where they were. And Obi-Wan smiled.

“Hello there.”

“G-grandmaster.” Ahsoka stuttered, stumbling forward with her hand outstretched as tears ran freely down her face. “Obi-Wan. . . Obi-” She hiccuped as he wrapped himself around her.

He cooed, pressing her head into the crook of his neck as he comforted her. “It’s okay now. You’re all right, I’m not leaving you, Ahsoka.”

Anakin’s breath hitched as he stood on shaky legs. “Obi-Wan.” He tried for a smile as he drank in the sight of his master. _He was alive, Force he’s alive._

“Hello, dear one.” Obi-Wan smiled, softly and without restraint as he held an arm out in invitation. He barely had to think twice before Anakin was throwing himself in the embrace, curling protectively around his Padawan and his best friend.

“Obi-Wan. . .”

All heads turned to focus on Yan Dooku, face as white as his hair and yellow eyes brimmed with tears.

Likewise, yellow eyes that used to shine a bright green, blue stared back.

“Grandmaster Dooku,” Obi-Wan smiled, though it was a far cry from the one he had offered Anakin and Ahsoka. This smile was all teeth. “I have to say, what you just did was very risky, not to mention incredibly dim-witted.”

The Count straightened, blinking rapidly as he hastily tried to put himself together. “And yet your eyes are yellow. It seems to me that my plan may have worked.” Dooku took in a deep shuddering breath, “Darth Aegrum-” _that name had power_ “-come to me.”

Anakin felt the arms around go slack and watched in terror as Obi-Wan made an aborted step towards the Sith. Then another. And another. Then he stopped, his expression flickering a bit as though he were confused.

He watched in baited breath, the war happening behind his former Master’s face.

“Come to me.” Count Dooku said again, though there was a noticeable panic underneath his tone. Indeed, the Sith seemed to be regretting what he’d done. “ _Darth Aegrum,_ you will answer to _me._ ”

“No.” Obi-Wan stated, amusement bleeding into the Force as they watched Dooku’s face contort in fear. “I don’t think I do.”

The Sith backed away, eyes flickering between the Jedi and the Clones, finally coming to face the reality that he was outnumbered, not to mention outmatched. He turned angry, eyes sharpening on Obi-Wan as he sneered. “I don’t understand, you were supposed to follow my orders.” He snapped, “I was supposed to be able to control you!”

The sharp laugh that came from Obi-Wan made Anakin flinch. He’d never heard the other sound quite that cold before. Quite that empty. “That is where you made your mistake, wasn’t it Grandmaster.” Dooku shivered at the honorific. “You thought that you were more powerful than I was, thought that your power could force me to submit.”

“You were Light, weak! I _turned_ you!”

Obi-Wan raised a brow and tutted, a sardonic smile splayed across his lips. “And so it was the Light side of the Force that made me weak? Are you insinuating that the Light makes a person weak? Pathetic?”

“Yes.” Dooku growled.

“Was Qui-Gon weak, then?”

The tension in the room skyrocketed and Anakin felt like all the air had been punched from his lungs. 

Dooku flinched at the reminder of his late Padawan. “I- I- Qui-gon was, he-”

“Oh please, Grandmaster. It was a simple question. Was. Qui-gon. Weak?”

“Yes- no!” Dooku stuttered.

“No?” Obi-Wan pouted, finally coming to a stop in front of him. “But you called Light- siders weak, and Qui-Gon was firmly rooted in the Light. Though,” Obi-Wan hummed, head tilted to the side like a curious puppy, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Perhaps that is why he died. He was too weak. Too. . . Light.”

Dooku growled, “and how could you say that? Obi-Wan Kenobi, you were his Padawan, he was your Master.”

“How can I say that?” He chuckled, though there was no amusement in his face as he did, only a sad kind of resignation. “Simple. My dear Grandmaster, when you turned me to the Dark side, you stripped me of everything that made me choose the Light. Worse than that, you took away my _choice_ between the two sides. Now, I feel only the Dark side of the Force, now I can hear only its cold whispers and empty promises of power and fortune. There is no Light left within me, not even a hint of grey.

“For my whole life, I have chosen compassion. In a galaxy full of pain and suffering, I chose to be kind, I chose to help people instead of tearing them down when I could have. Now, you have stripped me of that choice. There is little kindness left in me now, and that kindness I will not spare to you.”

With a shout, Dooku threw himself at Obi-Wan, fisting his hands in the other man’s robes and drawing him up close, rage sparking as lightning between them. “You are arrogant, Kenobi, I am still powerful.”

He merely chuckled. Obi-Wan reached out with one hand and cradled Dooku’s face in what would have been a caring manner if he hadn’t done it with a cold detachment. “Arrogant? No, if anything, I am merely knowledgeable of what I can now do.” He stated with a cruel smile that sent shivers racing up Anakin’s back. 

“Kenobi-”

“I was formidable when as a Jedi, when I still Light.” Obi-Wan murmured, his hand falling away to lay limply by his side. “But now, now you will realize _why_ I remained there.”

There was no warning from the Force when Dooku shoved Obi-Wan back and brought his lightsaber down on the unarmed man.

But their shouts of shock and fear were unneeded.

Anakin’s breath hitched in his throat when he suddenly couldn’t tear his eyes away from where Obi-Wan had caught the lightsaber in his bare hands. The red, flickering light of the ‘saber retreated, sucked back into the hilt of the weapon, and no matter how many times Yan Dooku tried, the ‘saber wouldn’t light again.

Obi-Wan sighed, hands crossed demurely in front of him as if he didn’t just reveal himself to be one of the most powerful Force users in the room. 

“You made a mistake, Grandmaster, when you turned me to the Darkside.” He said softly. “You made your bed, you may as well lay in it.”

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this as soon as i thought  
> "as infinite sadness paved the way to infinite darkness"
> 
> my stupid monkey brain went feral and wrote this instead of writing a new chapter for There Was a Saying or Star Wars the Groupchat :/


End file.
